


Chased By The Wolves

by Stranded_In_The_Cosmos



Series: Bright Young Things: Miles Edition [1]
Category: Bright Young Things
Genre: Implied/Referenced Homophobia, Mentions of Violence, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Original Character(s), Threats of Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-03
Updated: 2020-09-03
Packaged: 2021-03-06 15:34:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 962
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26271214
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Stranded_In_The_Cosmos/pseuds/Stranded_In_The_Cosmos
Summary: Miles is mouthy, and that gets him in a bit of trouble.
Relationships: Miles Maitland & Original Character(s)
Series: Bright Young Things: Miles Edition [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1916011
Kudos: 3





	Chased By The Wolves

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt by @lunarmultishine on tumblr: Weekly prompt: "Did you... not know you just walked into a gay bar?"
> 
> (Forgive me for taking so long but teenage Miles running into a bar to get out of a scrape and not realizing it’s a safespace for any and all queers and he starts getting the ‘oh shit I’m not straight’ feeling will make up for it right? Feat. A mention of the sisters we gave him.)

It wasn’t his fault, not really.

It wasn’t his fault that he was currently running, almost tripping, it wasn’t his fault that he had spoken before thinking, that they had gotten violent with him. 

Miles turned a corner, trying to lose the boys on heels, and internally cursed himself. _Leaf will never let me live this one down. I can go one day without getting a bruise I said, you don’t have to worry about me I said. Why can’t they just leave me alone?_

“Get back here daffodil!” 

Miles didn’t stop and instead turned another corner, finding the closest business open and went in, not quite caring what the place was about. 

He leaned against the door as he tried to steady his breathing, hoping the boys hadn’t seen him come in here. 

“You alright there darling?” Someone asked. “You looked like you’ve been chased by wolves,” 

Miles looked up at the person, a thirty-something woman was standing behind a counter looking at him, concerned. 

“Well, I suppose I have been,” Miles laughed halfheartedly. “I’m truly sorry for intruding so, I just needed somewhere to lose them. I can leave if you want, I’m sure they’ll be gone by now,” 

The woman tutted. “Won’t do darling. Come behind the counter and wait a bit, just in case they come looking around. I’ve gotten into my own fair share of scrapes, and that just won’t do,”

Miles looked down timidly, and rubbed his shoulders. “Truly, you don’t have to do anything-” 

The woman snapped her fingers and pointed to the spot beside her. Not saying a word. 

Miles couldn’t have refused at that point, and awkwardly went to stand by her. 

“Thank you,” 

“Don’t mention it,” 

The conversation stalled as soon as it had started, which left Miles to look around what he now guessed was a bar. It was a small place, cozy for it, and the dozen or so people there had all returned to their conversations. 

Nothing caught Miles’ attention until he saw a pair of young men, not but five or six years older than himself, with arms wrapped around each other’s waist. 

If Miles had been any other boy he knew, he might’ve been a bit confused or disgusted by the sight, but he wasn’t. He was warmed by the sight, like seeing Mary with her boyfriend, but slightly different. As if, in a way, he wanted to be in the same position. With another man’s arm wrapped around his waist. But it couldn’t be, it was unnatural after all to think like that, or even be like that, and he wasn’t even inclined towards them anyway. 

Right?

“Joan. You?” The woman asked, pulling him out of his thoughts. 

“Oh, um, Miles,” Miles smiled. 

Joan nodded. “Seems you’ve seen Jack and John,” 

Miles flushed. “Just staring off you know, not at anything in particular, must be mistaken,” 

Joan smiled knowingly. “Hm, if you say-” 

The door opened before she could finish, and the two boys that had been chasing Miles stepped in, frustration spilling off them. 

Miles ducked under the counter without a thought, trying to control his breathing. 

Joan tutted again and ruffled Miles’ hair before looking up at the boys with a hard face. 

“Hello there boys, what can I get you today?” Joan asked. 

“We’re looking for a fairy, might’ve come in here. Seen him?” One of them asked. 

“I’m not much in the business of catering to mythic creatures my dear,” 

“Cut it out,” The boy huffed. “Have you seen him? Name’s Miles Maitland,” 

Miles’ breath hitched. 

“Not a clue darling, so why don’t you two run along home then? Sure you’ll see him in the morn’,” 

The other boy looked like he had something to say, but Joan gave him a level glare and he took the other’s arm and pulled them both out of the bar. 

“You can come up now darling, they’re gone,” Joan said. 

Miles came up, shaken, and shaking. He hoped to somebody that Joan wouldn’t guess that they were referring to him, that she wouldn’t guess he was a Maitland. The pain of the bruise on his chest even felt mute compared to what could happen if Joan put two and two together. 

“Maitland, huh?” Joan said, and Miles felt the floor drop. “Interesting,” 

“Please don’t tell anyone about this, if someone was to find out why I was being chased there would be such an awful mess, my family-”

“Don’t worry your head sweetheart, secrets keep in my place. No one’s going to say a thing about you being here,” 

Miles sighed. “Thank you,” 

“Now, why exactly where those boys chasing you for?” 

Miles looked down. “Well, I might’ve said that even if I was what they were saying, which I’m not,” Joan laughed, a knowing look on her face. “I’d still get more action in the sheets than they ever would,” 

Joan laughed, setting a hand on Miles’ shoulder. “You’ve got a lot of confidence there,”

“I get a lot of bruises to show for it,” Miles added, smiling slightly. 

“Such a shame, deserve a cracked rib for being so brazen, at the very least,” Joan joked, and Miles laughed. 

Miles noticed the clock and became nervous once more. “Oh lord, look at the time, I’m late. My sister will really have me locked up for this one I’m probably giving her a panic now-”

“Darling, calm down. It’ll be fine, get yourself home safe. Remember you’re always welcome here, if you need to hide or want to stare off into space again,” Joan winked. “You’re safe here with us,” 

Miles softened into mush and hugged Joan. “Thank you so much,”

“Alright you sap, get going,” 

Miles smiled, and ran back off into the night. 

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Please leave a comment!


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